Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sequence Specificity Of Non-Structural Protein 15 From Sars-Cov-2, John Vincent Mcguire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The SARS-CoV-2 virus was recently able to cause a global pandemic, largely due to the asymptomatic period that occurs during initial infection. During this period, patients are infectious but do not exhibit symptoms, resulting in the unintentional spread of the virus. This occurs because the virus effectively avoids detection by the immune system during the early stages of infection, and as symptoms are the result of immune system activation, they never manifest. Non-structural Protein 15 (Nsp15) is one of the tools the virus uses to remain undetected, via its degradation of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) that would otherwise be recognized …

Integrating Authentication Schemes In Augmented And Virtual Reality Classrooms, Naheem Noah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technologies are revolutionizing educational experiences, but their widespread adoption hinges on addressing critical security and usability challenges, particularly in the domain of user authentication. This research presents an investigation into the security landscape of AR/VR and explores a graphical authentication scheme called “Things” that enhances both security and usability in immersive learning environments. Through a systematic evaluation of popular AR/VR devices and applications, potential vulnerabilities and limitations were identified, such as high usage of pin/passwords which are susceptible to shoulder-surfing attacks, lack of multi-factor authentication, and unclear data-sharing practices. A review of existing knowledge-based …

Supervised Classification Modeling On Louisiana Medicaid Data: A Comparative Study, Yead Rahman

Master's Theses

This thesis systematically optimizes and compares state-of-the-art supervised classification models for Louisiana Medicaid data targeting clinical services, COVID-19 infection, and tobacco use. These target variables are critically important as they represent key health outcomes and behaviors among Medicaid enrollees in Louisiana, a population often characterized by poverty and limited access to education. This study applies advanced machine learning techniques to identify the best model for multinomial and binary classification tasks. These include models such as Logistic Regression, XGBoost, AdaBoost, Random Forest, Decision Tree, Artificial Neural Networks, and Naïve Bayes. Extensive tuning of the hyperparameters and optimization of each classifier were …

Developing A Comprehensive Cognitive Model Of Math Achievement, Nina Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, downward trends have been reported in U.S. children’s math performance following school disruptions during COVID-19 amidst longstanding concerns for instruction and curricula within the subject. In support of efforts to remedy these declines, the current work presents two studies dedicated to identifying cognitive factors that are most strongly related to math performance, and which therefore offer promising potential targets for assessment and intervention. Both studies use data from the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center, which includes participants ages 8 - 16 and multiple well-validated measures of all constructs of interest. Study 1 tests three alternative latent cognitive models of …

Population Genetic Diversity In Two Biological Systems, Alyson Emery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Population genetic analysis can be used to answer questions about population structure and composition in many biological systems. Recent improvements to sequencing technologies have made population genetic studies more accessible than ever before. Many of the same techniques can be applied to different biological systems, but some analyses may differ depending on how genetically divergent the populations in question are. Here, we describe two unique projects using next-generation genome sequencing, each looking at population structure at different levels of genetic divergence: the first involved determining interspecific population structure between two species of hybridizing field cricket using a novel sequencing method, …

Robotic Odor Source Localization Using Vision And Olfaction Sensing, Sunzid Hassan

Master's Theses

Robotic Odor Source Localization (ROSL) technology allows autonomous agents like robots to find an odor source in unknown environments. A successful odor source location depends crucially on an effective navigation algorithm that directs the robot towards the odor source. This thesis is a combination of three projects. First, we detail development of a versatile multi-modal robotic platform for ROSL real-world ROSL experimentation and discussed real-world validation of a traditional olfactionbased ROSL algorithm. Secondly, we introduced vision in ROSL by proposing a fusion navigation algorithm that integrates deep-learning enabled vision and olfaction-based navigation. This hybrid approach tackles challenges such as turbulent …

Revealing The Impact Of Spatial Bias In Survey Design For Habitat Mapping: A Tale Of Two Sampling Designs, Stanley Mastrantonis, Tim J. Langlois, Ben Radford, Claude Spencer, Simon De Lestang, Sharyn Hickey

Fisheries Research Articles

Submerged aquatic vegetation, referring to benthic macroalgae and plants that obligately grow underwater, are critical components of marine ecosystems and are frequently found to provide preferential recruitment habitats. The mapping and monitoring of aquatic vegetation through remote sensing and machine learning is becoming an important aspect of managing coastal environments at scale. Accurate mapping and monitoring require robust sampling and occurrence data to assess predictive error and quantify submerged vegetation extents. The form of ground truthing survey design (preferential, random, grid-based or spatially balanced) could significantly influence predictive model outcomes and the overall accuracy of mapping and monitoring. Here, we …

Wolverine Habitat Suitability Analysis In Lake County, Colorado, Using Gis, Jake Hostnik

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

This project explores the reintroduction of the wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) to Colorado’s mountainous regions, where the species has been extirpated due to habitat destruction and human activities. The study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify optimal habitats for wolverine reintroduction, considering factors like snowpack duration, prey availability, and human disturbance. By creating a GIS-based habitat suitability model, this research will guide conservationists in selecting reintroduction sites. The project addresses the species' role in maintaining alpine ecosystem balance and contributes to the broader understanding of biodiversity restoration in the face of climate change. Results will inform future conservation planning …

Key Largo Mangrove Population Monitoring: A Remote Sensing Analysis And Classification Methodology Review, David Lackajs

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Mangrove forests are some of the world's most bio-diverse habitats, providing essential services to the surrounding coasts. Removal of these habitats has a devastating impact on the ecosystems within them. The Florida Keys are some of the last areas in the United States with extensive mangrove populations. One specific area, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, has been under state protection since 1959. For that reason, mangrove forest habitats there are less fragmented. This study uses remotely sensed imagery to quantify and analyze mangrove populations in this area using two methods: sub-pixel analysis and supervised classification. The …

Ozone Gardens: Impacts Of Air Quality On Native Plants In Chicago, Elene Drosos

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Air quality impacts are hard for the public to understand where air pollution is not visible. Visual indications of plant damage like stipples can help residents in cities with understanding how poor air quality impacts both plants and humans. This is particularly important since the effects of climate change and air pollution are difficult to observe at small temporal and spatial scales. Ozone gardens with ozone-sensitive plants are a space to visualize ozone damage on leaves of plants. They are a practical way to express these complicated scientific topics to the public, especially in heavily polluted areas like Chicago. Some …

Investigating Servant Leadership Measurement: A Mixed-Methods Study Integrating Content Analysis And Meta-Analysis, Kai Torsten Schramm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the similarities and differences among servant leadership measures and the variations in their effect sizes on job performance and job satisfaction. This paper explores how the items in servant leadership measures portrayed the servant leadership construct and how these relate to the outcomes. The researcher used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design. Which involved a qualitative content analysis of the measurement items and a meta-analysis of outcomes, considering the findings from the content analysis. Six key categories determined the three main themes: selfless generosity, inspiring influence, adaptive humility, integrity, empowering, and harmonious engagement. The three …

Carbon-Sulfur Bond Elongation As The Promoting Reaction Coordinate In The Efficient Sub-Nanosecond Intersystem Crossing In Thianaphthene Derivatives, Cameron Griffith, Erqian Mao, Sean J. Hoehn, Sarah E. Krul, Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

Faculty Scholarship

Thiophene derivatives have become integral to OLEDs, photovoltaics, and photodynamic therapy research. A deeper understanding of their excited state dynamics and electronic relaxation mechanisms is expected to provide important physical insights of direct relevance for these applications. In this study, thianaphthene (TN), 2-methylbenzothiophene (2MBT), and 3-methylbenzothiophene (3MBT) are investigated using femtosecond broadband transient absorption and steady-state spectroscopy techniques along with time-dependent density functional calculations in cyclohexane and acetonitrile. The photophysical properties and electronic relaxation mechanisms of these derivatives are elucidated. Small fluorescence quantum yields ranging from 0.4 to 1.1% are measured. It is demonstrated that excitation of TN at 290 …

Dynamical Dark Energy From Lattice Quantum Gravity, Mingwei Dai

Dissertations - ALL

We study various topics of Euclidean dynamical triangulations (EDT). We study the interaction of two scalar particles, and show that in the appropriate limit we recover an interaction compatible with Newton's gravitational potential in four dimensions. Working in the quenched approximation, we calculate the binding energy of a two-particle bound state, and study its dependence on the constituent particle mass in the non-relativistic limit. We find a binding energy compatible with the ground state energy by solving the Schr\"{o}dinger equation for Newton's potential. This allows us to determine the lattice spacing in EDT for the first time, and we find …

Investigating The Cellular Localization, Trafficking, And Biological Function Of Ghrelin O-Acyltransferase, Sadie Xiao Hua Novak

Dissertations - ALL

Ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) catalyzes the acylation and activation of ghrelin, a peptide hormone involved in a range of physiological pathways and therapeutic target for metabolism-linked diseases such as obesity and diabetes. GOAT was determined to be localized in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in early cell-based studies, but recent patient studies detected this integral membrane enzyme in blood plasma and urine. These findings challenge the current understanding of GOAT’s cellular localization, and it may provide a potential mechanism for ghrelin re-acylation by plasma membrane-resident GOAT. The work described in this dissertation aimed to define the intracellular trafficking mechanism …

Re: Silver Bow Creek Butte Area Npl Site 2nd Quarter 2024 Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Interim Site-Wide Surface Water Monitoring Data Report. Consent Decree- Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-She, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Open Quantum Systems In High Energy Physics, Bharath Sambasivam

Dissertations - ALL

Open quantum systems (OQS) are ubiquitous in various fields of physics, such as high energy physics, cosmology, atomic and molecular physics, and quantum optics. In some cases, there is a natural separation between the system and the environment, like the presence of a horizon in inflationary cosmology. In other cases, like field theories coupled to thermal baths or at finite chemical potential, it is not practical to simulate the large number of degrees of freedom making up the bath. The system of interest can be described by an effective theory upon integrating out the environment degrees of freedom. In certain …

Studies Towards Improved Gravitational Wave Detector Thermodynamics, Daniel Vander-Hyde

Dissertations - ALL

Since the first gravitational wave detection, the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave Observatories (LIGO) combined with an expanding and co-observing global gravitational wave network (i.e. Virgo, KAGRA) has worked to increase a novel and growing astronomical data catalog of gravitational wave detections. With each additional observing run, rates of detection continue to increase with iterative upgrades to detector technology. Discussed within this thesis are considerations pertinent to the improvement of Dual Recycled Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometer (DRFPMI) thermodynamics proposed during LIGO's third observing run (O3) for present and future detectors. The first chapter reviews fundamental material relevant to gravitational waves and how …

Exploration Of Positive Deviance In Prevention Of Underweight In The Under-Five: A Qualitative Study On Low-Income Urban Families, Irwan Budiono, Lukman Fauzi, Dewi Sari Rochmayani

Kesmas

Children under the age of five (the under-five) from low-income families are more vulnerable to experience underweight. This nutritional vulnerability is evident in the preliminary study, where 35.1% of the under-five experience underweight, and 28.48% are low-income families. This study aimed to explore Positive Deviance (PD) behaviors in preventing underweight among the under-five. The study applied a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data collection took place in July-August 2022, focusing on low-income families in the Gunung Brintik area. Data were collected through two focus group discussions, seven in-depth interviews, and five key informant interviews. Coding, subtheme, and theme …

Risk Factors For Cognitive Impairment In Adult Population Of Coastal Area: A Cross-Sectional Study In Maringkik Island, Indonesia, Herpan Syafii Harahap, Arina Windri Rivarti, Nurhidayati Nurhidayati, Fitriannisa Faradina Zubaidi, Dini Suryani, Legis Ocktaviana Saputri, Yanna Indrayana, Athalita Andhera, Muhammad Hilam, Abiyyu Didar Haq

Kesmas

Cognitive impairment is a medical condition commonly found in elderly populations, which can be due to vascular risk factors in patients. There remains limited data on risk factors for cognitive impairment among coastal region populations. This study aimed to investigate risk factors for cognitive impairment in the adult population of Maringkik Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Data collected were age, sex, education level, hypertension, antihypertensive treatment, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, and body mass index status. A total of 114 participants were recruited using a consecutive sampling method. The participants’ cognitive function assessment used the Mini-Cog instrument. The cognitive impairment …

Variation And Predictors Of Covid-19 Mortality In Hospitalized Cases In West Sumatra Province, Indonesia: A Retrospective Observational Study, Defriman Djafri, Ade Suzana Eka Putri, Yudi Pradipta

Kesmas

During 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, different Indonesian provinces had different numbers of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, particularly in West Sumatra Province. This study aimed to investigate the variation of confirmed COVID-19 cases and determine predictors of mortality in hospitalized patients across districts in West Sumatra Province. A retrospective observational study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2020 to June 2021, 46,005 confirmed cases were collected in the province, of which 42,308 were hospitalized and analyzed. Confirmed cases and deaths were compared by geographic location using spatial analysis. The risk predictors of death were estimated using …

Coastal Sedimentary Records Of Extreme Events And Human Activity: Examples From Hurricanes And Microplastics, Nicholas T. Culligan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coastal regions are uniquely vulnerable to a myriad of natural and anthropogenically caused stresses such as hurricane strikes and chronic microplastic pollution. Both hurricanes and microplastics have major negative effects on global coastlines and are forecast to become more damaging in the future. However, current model trends are based on limited modern data and may not provide an accurate or comprehensive view of the future. Therefore, this dissertation investigates coastal stratigraphic records to determine long-term past trends of these presses and pulses so that researchers, stakeholders, and policy makers can use them to enact strategies to mitigate damages from worsening …

On The Formation And Detectability Of H2Cncn And Its Progenitors, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Vincent J. Esposito

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

New highly exothermic formation pathways incorporating both thermodynamic and kinetic control for the newly astronomically detected H₂CNCN molecule are paired with extremely accurate quantum chemical rovibrational spectroscopic computations. The reactions between astronomically known CH₂CN/CH₂CCH + HNCN follow effectively identical pathways and proceed through stable intermediates and over deeply submerged transition states to form H₂CNCN and HCN/HCCH coproducts. Similarly, the reaction between CHM₂CN and NCN⁻ can also form H₂CNCN, although this pathway first requires the initial formation of NCN⁻, which is currently undetected in space, via …

Democratization Of Custom, High Quality Large Language Models, Pablo Lopez

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown exceptional performance in several natural language processing (NLP) tasks. Customizing LLMs boosts their performance in domain specific tasks but typically requires substantial resources and effort for training, such as supervised fine-tuning. This research proposes methods to achieve significant accuracy improvements given minimal resources, particularly focusing on open-ended question answering with a given piece of context. We utilize an LLM’s self-generated training data to fine-tune the LLM and partial fine-tuning with on-demand GPU to reduce practitioner training costs. The research shows that these methods give significant performance gains in a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) based …

Mechanical Properties Of Si(1−X)–C(X): Strength And Stiffness Of Materials Using Lammps Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Clint Edrick Petilla, Catherine Joy Dela Cruz, Christian Lorenz S. Mahinay

Physics Faculty Publications

This study investigated the mechanical properties (elastic modulus, tensile strength, yield strength, and toughness) of different percent C of silicon carbide (SiC) using molecular dynamics simulations via the large-scale atomic/molecular massively parallel simulator (LAMMPS) with the uniaxial tensile test at four strain rates: 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 5.0 m s−1, using the Tersoff potential. The simulation uses 20 × 20 × 20 atoms (108.6 Å × 108.6 Å × 108.6 Å) of the diamond cubic structure of Si, then carbon atoms were placed randomly at 5% intervals from 0–50 percent C. Results show improved mechanical properties when increasing percent C …

The Impact Of Model Variations On The Robustness Of Deep Learning Models In Adversarial Settings, Firuz Juraev, Mohammed Abuhamad, Simon S. Woo, George K. Thiruvathukal, Tamer Abuhmed

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Rapid advancements of deep learning are accelerating adoption in a wide variety of applications, including safety-critical applications such as self-driving vehicles, drones, robots, and surveillance systems. These advancements include applying variations of sophisticated techniques that improve the performance of models. However, such models are not immune to adversarial manipulations, which can cause the system to misbehave and remain unnoticed by experts. The frequency of modifications to existing deep learning models necessitates thorough analysis to determine the impact on models’ robustness. In this work, we present an experimental evaluation of the effects of model modifications on deep learning model robustness using …

Perceptions Of Hiv-Related Comorbidities And Usability Of A Virtual Environment For Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Education In Sexual Minority Men With Hiv: Formative Phases Of A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Trace Kershaw, Julian F Thayer, Allison Vorderstrasse

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Sexual minority men with HIV are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and have been underrepresented in behavioral research and clinical trials.

Objective: This study aims to explore perceptions of HIV-related comorbidities and assess the interest in and usability of a virtual environment for CVD prevention education in Black and Latinx sexual minority men with HIV.

Methods: This is a 3-phase pilot behavioral randomized controlled trial. We report on formative phases 1 and 2 that informed virtual environment content and features using qualitative interviews, usability testing, and beta testing with a total of 25 individuals. In phase …

Sexannodb, A Knowledgebase Of Sex-Specific Regulations From Multi-Omics Data Of Human Cancers, Sijia Wu, Weiling Zhao, Pora Kim, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Sexual differences across molecular levels profoundly impact cancer biology and outcomes. Patient gender significantly influences drug responses, with divergent reactions between men and women to the same drugs. Despite databases on sex differences in human tissues, understanding regulations of sex disparities in cancer is limited. These resources lack detailed mechanistic studies on sex-biased molecules.

Methods

In this study, we conducted a comprehensive examination of molecular distinctions and regulatory networks across 27 cancer types, delving into sex-biased effects. Our analyses encompassed sex-biased competitive endogenous RNA networks, regulatory networks involving sex-biased RNA binding protein-exon skipping events, sex-biased transcription factor-gene regulatory networks, …

2024 August 22 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

It Strategies For Social Media Implementation In Liberian Enterprises, Romeo Yleah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid proliferation of social media platforms has globally transformed organizational operations, creating unique opportunities for direct consumer engagement. However, some Liberian organizations face challenges regarding effective social media implementation. Addressing this issue is critical for enabling Liberian businesses to compete internationally and maximize the potential of social media platforms. Grounded in the diffusion of innovations theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic study was to explore effective IT strategies for integrating social media into Liberian enterprises. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes from eight IT managers in Monrovia who had integrated social media within the …

Modeling Integrated Soil Fertility Management For Maize Production In Kenya Using A Bayesian Calibration Of The Daycent Model, Moritz Laub, Magdalena Necpalova, Marijn Van De Broek, Marc Corbeels, Samuel Mathu Ndungu, Monicah Wanjiku Mucheru-Muna, Daniel Mugendi, Rebecca Yegon, Wycliffe Waswa, Bernard Vanlauwe, Johan Six

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Sustainable intensification schemes such as integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) are a proposed strategy to close yield gaps, increase soil fertility, and achieve food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Biogeochemical models such as DayCent can assess their potential at larger scales, but these models need to be calibrated to new environments and rigorously tested for accuracy. Here, we present a Bayesian calibration of DayCent, using data from four long-term field experiments in Kenya in a leave-one-site-out cross-validation approach. The experimental treatments consisted of the addition of low- to high-quality organic resources, with and without mineral nitrogen fertilizer. We assessed the potential …